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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.7 4 W. GILFILLAN.

LIQUID DOOR ,GHEGK. I

Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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W. GILPILLAN. LIQUID DOOR CHECK.

NO. 577,917. Patented Mar; 2, 1 897.

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'W. GILFILLAN. I

LIQUID DOOR GHBUK.

No 577,917; Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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WILLIAM GILFILLAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIQUID DOOR-CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,917, dated March 2,1897.

Application filed OGtDlJBl 15, 1896! Serial NO- 608,986. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GILFILLAN, a resident of New York, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Liquid Door-Checks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in liquid door-checks.

In the liquid door-checks now in use the piston is actuated in onedirection by a clock or coiled spring. The use of these springs isobjectionable in that in order to possess the requisite strength theymust be of considerable size and weight and hence are expensive to make.Again, they are liable to break and require considerable power tooperate them, owing to the gradually-increasing surfacefrietion as thespring is compressed while opening the door. Again, the door-checksemploying this form of spring are necessarily provided with a casing orbox at right angles to the liquid casing to contain the spring, thusadding considerably to the size of the apparatus as well as to theweight and cost of manufacture. v

The objects of my invention are to provide a check operated by a springor springs which expand and contract in the direction of the movement ofthe piston; toprovide the spring or springs with an adjusting devicewhereby the spring or springs can be adjusted to the tension requiredfor closing the door 5 to the construction and arrangement of partswhereby leakage is absolutely prevented; to provide improved means forsecuring the check to a door or door-jamb, and to other improvements inthe details which contribute especially to the simplicity and durabilityof the mechanism.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the parts andcombinations of parts and to details of construction, which will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims. V

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of myimproved check. Fig. 2 is a View in longitudinal central section ofsame. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view looking toward the head ofthe plunger or piston. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the plunger,looking toward the open end thereof. Fig. 5 is a view of thetensiondisk, screw, and tubes. Fig. 6 is a view of the fastening-plate,and Fig. 7 is a view of the pinion and a section of the rack-bar.

A represents a cylindrical casing provided with an integral head at oneend and screwthreaded at its other end for the attachment of theremovable head B. This cylinder is provided centrally on its upper sidewith a nipple a, internally threaded and provided below the threads witha flange l), on which can be seated a washer and against theedge ofwhich rests the collar 0 on the spindle O, the spindle and washer beingheld in place by the screw-cap or gland D, which latter is provided withan angular boss thereon for engagement with a wrench and with a centralopening for the passage of the spindle.

' The integral head is provided centrally with a small threaded openingfor the attachment of the gland d, carrying the vent-tube E, while theremovable head B of the cylinder is provided with a centrally-locatedopening for the passage of the head of the screw 'F, on which thetension-disk G is mounted.

The rear face of the cylinder is provided with two bosses g, separated asuitable distance and provided with undercut lower faces adapted toreceive the flange h of the lockin g or fastening plate II. This plateHis provided with screw-holes for its attachment to a door or jamb, andits upper edge is ofiset outwardly, forming the upwardly-projectingflange 72 which latter, as before stated, is adapted to enter therecesses in the lower faces of the bosses g and support the casing inposition while the screws are passed through the lower flanges h,integral with the casing A. Heretofore in placing a door-check inposition it has been necessary for the workman to support the check,which weighs several pounds, with one hand while he inserts the screwswith the other. Owing to the fact that the casing has to be placed apredetermined distance from the hinge edge of the door, it is sometimesa difficult matter to make thenecessary measurements accurately, place ithe casing in position, and then secure it by screws. With thisimprovement, however, it

is simply necessary to first mark off the distance the center of spindleis to be from hinge edge of door and then secure the plate II inposition with the bottom of the V-shaped slot therein on the markpreviously made. As the base or bottom of the V-shaped slot is in a linewith the center of the spindle, it follows that when the check isapplied to the fastening-plate II it will be in its proper position. Thecheck is then applied, and as its weight is supported by thefastening-plate both hands of the workman are free to be used in lockingthe casing in position, which is done, as before stated, by passingscrews through the flange integral with the casing.

I is an elongated cylindrical piston open at 1 one end and closed at theother and cut away 5 on its top and bottom, as shown, to permit its openend to straddle the spindle as the piston i is moved toward the springs,as in opening; It is provided interiorly with aj rack-bar 1, extendingfrom the inner face of j the head of the piston to the open end of the 7latter, and is also provided on its inner face with a series (four inthe present instance) of I rods or lugs 1 which project beyond the rearor open end of the piston and are adapted to register with and enter thetubes 1 carried on the tension-disk G. lVhile I have shown. the

the door.

rods extending beyond the open end of the piston and shown the disk Gwith tubes 5 adapted to receive the rods when the piston is moved towardthe tubes, as in opening the 3 door, I do not limit myself to such anarrangement, as the tubes and rods might be dispensed with altogether,or the rods could I be shortened up considerably, so as to form simplysupports for the ends of the spiral spring I, while rods or lugs couldbe substituted for the tubes for supporting the springs at their outerends. construction disclosed, as by such construction the springs aresupported against lateral deflection throughout their entire length, andhence nevercome in contact with or obstruct the free movement of any ofthe movableone direction the disk is moved toward the.

piston and the springs I thereby compressed and the tension increased.By moving the disk in the opposite direction the springs are permittedto elongate and thus decrease the tension. By means of the movable diskthe springs can be given tension just sufficient to close the door.

Located centrally in and at right angles to the cylinder is the spindleO, the lower end of which is seated in the recess formed in I prefer,however, the

the lower face of the cylinder, the cylinder being enlarged externallyat this point by the boss 0 for the purpose of the recess.

The spindle is provided with the mutilated pinion C which latter engagesthe rack I and moves the piston I against the action of the springs I inopening the door, and is moved by the rack I while the springs I areforcing the piston to its normal position. The upper end of the spindleis made angular for the attachment of the arms L L, ordinarily employed,the arm L being loosely connected at its outer end to the extensiblesectional arm L, which in turn is attached at its free end to the dooror jamb, as the case may be.

To indicate the proper position of the arm L on the spindle O, and toprevent the possibility of mistake in assembling the parts, I providethe angular end of the spindle O with a slot 0 and the yoke of arm Lwith a projection a to enter the slot, and hence in assembling the partsit is necessary, in order to place the yoke on the spindle, to enter theprojection 0 within the slot, which insures the proper relativeposit-ion of arm and spindle.

Secured to the integral head of the cylinder is the vent-tube E. Thistube is provided at a point adjacent to the head of the cylinder with aperipheral groove j and with an opening j", and located within the tubeis a-cut-off valve actuated by the thumb-wheel j located outside thecylinder. By turning the valve to close more or less of the opening theliquid between the head of the cylinder and the piston is permitted toescape slower or faster through the opening into the tube and throughthe tube to the cylinder in front of the piston. The peripheral grooveis for the purpose of permitting the fluid to pass rapidly from behindthe piston to the front thereof just as the door comes to a close, thusperinitting the springs to exert their full power for latching the door.

The peripheral groove may, if desired, be omitted and the door allowedto come gradually to the latching-point without the releasing actionbefore described.

The tube E passes through an opening in the piston-head and ispreferably tapered or grooved throughout its length, so as to permit thefluid to move rapidly and escape from behind the piston as the doorstarts to close, gradually checking the flow, until, as before stated,the door reaches a nearly-closed position and then rapidly releasing theconfined fluid, so that the door-can close suddenly with forcesufficient to latch the door.

Instead of making the tube tapering or instead of grooving the tube, itmay be cylindrical throughout its length, thus resulting in asubstantially uniform checking action of the liquid throughout theclosing of the door.

Surrounding the opening in the head of the piston is the valve K. Thisvalve is simply a disk having an opening just large enough for thepassage of the vent-tube and is provided with two rivets which passloosely the speed is reduced.

through the head of the piston, thus permitting the valve to move aslight distance toward and away from the valve-head. The opening in thepiston head is somewhat larger than the tube, while the opening in valveis of practically the same diameter as the large end of the vent-tube.Thus it will be seen that as the piston is moved in the direction of thesprings to compress them, as in opening the door, the fluid to the frontof the piston opens the valve carried by the piston and surrounding thevent-tube and flows freely back behind the piston. As soon however asthe door is released and the springs permitted to exert their pressureon the piston the valve is closed by the pressure -of the fluidthereagainst and the closing action of the door checked. As the tube istapered or grooved from its free end rearward, it will be seen that theclosing movement of the door is gradually retarded until, as beforestated, the door is nearly closed, when the circumferential groove atthe base of the vent-tube permits of the sudden escape of the confinedliquid and allows the door to close with a force sufficient to latch thesame. This closing movement, permitted by the tapered or groovedvent-tube, can be accelerated to a greater or less degree by the valvewithin the vent-tube. By opening the valve to its limit the door closesat its greatest possible speed, and by closing the valve By thisarrangement the closing speed of the door can be regulated as desired.

While I have disclosed a tube and a valved piston for the passage of theliquid from one side of the piston to the other, I do not confine myselfto the employment of the improvements herein claimed with a check havinga valved piston, but consider myself at liberty to use them with anyother construction of parts designed to permit the escape of the liquidfrom the front of the piston.

Thecheck-case can be attached to the door or door-jamb, and connected tothe door or door-jamb, by arms L L, as disclosed in my former patents,and in either case as the door is opened the spindleis turned, therebycompressing the springs, and when the door is released the piston actionon the spindle causes the door to assume its normal position. The freeend of the spindle terminates above the top of the case, and as there isno pressure on the fluid in frontof the piston there is no tendencywhatever to leakage around the spindle. The springs I are ordi naryspiral springs made of round spring Wire, and by so arranging them thatthey are compressed and expand in the direction of the movement of thepiston they can be l0- cated directly in the piston-chamber, thusavoding, the necessity of a separate springchamber.

It is evident that numerous slight changes might be made in the detailsof construction and general arrangement of parts herein shown anddescribed without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.Hence I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise details shown but,

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A door-check comprising in its construction a cylinder closed at oneend and provided with a removable capat its other end, a piston locatedin said cylinder, means whereby the liquid may escape from in front ofthe piston, a spring supported at one end by a bearing carried by theremovable cap and bearing at its other end against the piston and aspindle connected to the piston.

2. A door-check comprising in its construction a cylinder closed at oneend and provided with a removable cap at its other end, a piston locatedin said cylinder and provided with a valve, a spring supported at oneend by a bearing carried by the removable cap and bearing at its otherend against the piston and a spindle connected to the piston.

3. A door-check comprising in its construction, a cylinder closed at oneend and provided wit-h a removable cap at its other end, a pistonlocated in said cylinder means whereby the liquid may escape from infront of the piston, a plurality of springs supported at one end by abearing carried by the removable cap and bearing at their other endsagainst the piston, and a spindle connected with the piston.

45. A door-check comprising in its construction a liquid-chamber closedat one end and provided with a removable cap at its other end, a pistonlocated in said cylinder, means whereby the liquid may escape from infront of the piston, a plurality of spiral springs supported at one endby a bearing carried by the removable cap, and hearing at their outerend against the piston, means for simultaneously adjusting the tensionof the several springs, and a spindle connected with the piston.

5. Adoor-check comprising in its construction a liquid-chamber closed atone end and provided with a removable cap at its other end, a pistonwithin said cylinder, means whereby the liquid may escape from in frontof the piston, a pluralityof springs bearing at one end against thepiston, a disk supporting the other end of the springs, a screw carriedby the removable cap and passing through the disk, and a spindleconnected with the piston.

6. A door-check comprising aliquid-chamber, a piston therein, a seriesof rods on the piston an adjustable disk carrying a series of tubes,spiral springs each mounted on a rod at one end and a tube at the otherend and a spindle connected with the piston.

7 A door-check comprisinga closed liquidcasing an elongated slot-tedpiston therein, a rack carried by and Within the slotted piston,

springs for moving the piston in one direction and a spindle mounted inthe closed casing and carrying a pinion engaging the rack on the piston.

8. A liquid door-check comprising a casing having a seat in its lowerface and an opening in its upper face, an elongated slot-ted pistonWithin said casing, a rack-bar secured to and Within the piston, aspindle resting at its lower end in the seat in the casing and providedWith a flange closing the opening in the upper face of the casing a capand washer for locking the spindle in position and a pinion on thespindle meshing With the rackbar on the piston.

9. The combination With a plate having lips and screw-holes, of a casinghaving pro- WILLIAM GILFILLAN.

YVitnesses:

H. M. SKINNER, J. S. OSWALD.

